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THE CITIZEN’S ASSEMBLY on biodiversity loss has made 159 recommendations to the State in order to protect biodiversity and expressed disappointment at a perceived failure to adequately fund, implement and enforce existing laws and policies.
The report states that this must change, and that sufficient funding and increased expenditure should be provided for the enforcement of national and EU biodiversity-related laws.
Members also questioned whether the government was taking the biodiversity emergency, which was declared by the Dáil in 2019, seriously.
The assembly of 99 randomly selected citizens met at seven meetings over the course of 10 months to analyse the state of the country’s biodiversity.
Today’s report also recommended changes to the constitution to ensure people have a right to a clean, healthy and safe environment, as well as adding constitutional commitments to protect natural resources such as food, fresh water and air.
The assembly has been called the first national citizens’ assembly anywhere in the world to explore the issue.
Commenting on the final report, the chairperson of the Citizens’ Assembly Dr Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, said that it is now incumbent on members of the Oireachtas to study the report and act upon its recommendations.
“The Assembly’s recommendations are a call to action. They ask us all to re-evaluate our current practices across the whole of society and in industry, agriculture, social enterprise, local government, national agencies and government departments.”
“Future generations are depending on us to act now. Some sectoral interests and lobby groups may resist attempts to address biodiversity loss, but it is urgent that our policy makers, in particular our politicians, are supported in making bold decisions to protect, conserve and restore the natural environment in the interest of all of the people, present and future, of the island of Ireland.
“The reassuring greens of our landscape mask the loss we are experiencing of so many key elements of our natural environment. The figures that the Assembly heard are stark. And the problems are getting worse.
“Things must change,” she said.
I have received the Recommendations & Report of the @CitizAssembly on Biodiversity Loss. Thank you to Chairperson @aoibhinn_ni_s for her leadership and to the citizens who gave huge time to this important work which will help us take action on biodiversity loss and restoration. pic.twitter.com/NbJEWSLJXj
— Leo Varadkar (@LeoVaradkar) April 5, 2023
Dr Ni Shuilleabhain said the state was the worst offender when it came to breaching laws aimed at protecting the natural habitat.
“The first two recommendations here say that the state has fundamentally failed to protect nature, and one of the most worrying things about that was that it was the biggest transgressor of its own laws and EU laws,” she told the PA news agency.
She added that she had a commitment from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that the report would go to an Oireachtas subcommittee before the summer recess.
The report contains a specific acknowledgement of the role of farmers as “the custodians of the land” and that the agriculture industry should be supported in conserving and restoring biodiversity.
The report includes 73 high-level recommendations and 86 sectoral-specific actions and priorities.
With additional reporting from PA
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If a heterosexual made such remarks and was overheard, they too would be fired. This is true equality.
Cowardice on behalf of management this is kangaroo court stuff
I’d have said to him “Conor, don’t say stuff like that when you’re in work, people might not know you’re gay and might take it the wrong way” and told the customer the employee had been cautioned to be more careful, thanks for notifying me of the issue. The end.
I know the current social media lynch mob approach is to demand a sacking for minor cultural infractions or the odd off-colour comment, but I’d be very careful about wishing this becomes standard practice. Because unless you’ve taken a vow of silence you can be sure to have said something that will offend someone. It’s long past time the PC Stasi were told where to get off.
Were past that now, people have no thick skin anymore. We live in an era where if you put a billboard up of a fitness model inspiring people to get in shape for the summer you are “fat shaming”, where if you get a nasty message on facebook, instead of just rolling your eyes and hitting the block button, you get to have a total breakdown and claim you are being cyberbullied, where you’re meant to give a ”triggerwarning” to someone in a conversation that you are about to say something they may not agree with or might offend them, in case they get upset….and you’d better not say “well actually no, I don’t respect their culture I think x is stupid…” oh that will get you in real f-__g trouble
We’ve gone from ignoring mental health issues far too much and trivializing them to the total opposite extreme now where everyones walking on eggshells around everyone else.
You can be sure though a heterosexual wouldn’t get the same airtime or press as the homosexual.
True ryan so much pc bS these days. Those were the days when you could give someone a good slap and that was the end of it.
Course he would, there are plenty of delusional str8 white males out there who think, despite having all the power and influence in society , think of themselves as some sort of besieged minority
Ah, identity politics. Fact is most people have F.A. influence in society (whatever that is, if it even exists anymore). But good way to divide and conquer.
lol, idiot
does he think we know he’s gay, does he think we care, please remeber being gay is invisible, people dont know all your internal traits
Everyone knows that’s it’s only very UNEXCEPABLE to make jokes when it’s white people (usually males) that are involved, you hear gays/blacks ( mainly “comedians “) etc using all the derogatory terms imagineable and people laugh, if it were a white (horror! of horrors! hetrosexual) male, hang-drawn and quarter would be reintroduced!!
conor is not a comedian obviously, we know that much, he’s an unemployed cash register
This country is full of self righteous prikcs who have no sense of humour. That customer should have minded his own f***ing business and stopped eavesdropping on people who aren’t talking to him. What a dick.
I wonder john, if you heard a shop worker making jokes about you would you feel so charitable?
I worked with a guy who thought that the gay couple I lived with were disgusting, it really irritated me because he was a young guy living in a city. He was shocked that someone would live with a gay couple. He was actually my superior as well. Should I have reported him for distasteful comments?! No because although I hated his attitude he was entitled to it all the same, this guy got fired for absolutely no reason, totally ridiculous PC crap.
Ryan. I agree and i heard Conor today he seemed a nice lad. The auld fella should have minded his own business, i suppose he had nothing else to do but earwiiging into other peoples conversations.
As a gay man myself I think firing the young man whether he be gay or straight is way over the top. Call him into the office and tell him it is inappropriate conversation in the workplace ya. It is not as if his comments were directed at the customer. He should not have been fired.
Ryan , that’s exactly the way it should’ve happened .no need for the guy to be sacked .
The only homophobic gays in the country are in The Iona Institute…allegedly…..
@Matty. I have thick skin and I can take a joke. I certainly wouldn’t deprive somebody of their livelihood just for making an inappropriate joke. Especially when I wasn’t supposed to be listening in anyway. That guy could have had a family who would have suffered because that clown eavesdropping thinks everyone should behave according to his wishes. As I said. What a dick.
Correct me if I’m wrong, it’s not ok for straight people to poke fun at Gay people?
but it’s ok for Gay people to poke fun at Gay people?
Is it ok for bisexual people to poke fun at gay people?
Is it ok for bi-fluid people to poke fun at gay people?
Can Gay people poke fun at everyone?
It’s a bit like it’s okay for a black man to call another black man the n word. Its called taking back ownership. Get over it Jonneary or come out of the closet and join the party.
A bit like?
Not really.
http://news.sky.com/story/1503213/rachel-dolezal-says-she-identifies-as-black ?
And you can be sure that if it was a heterosexual making comments about a heterosexual, nothing would have happened.
This isn’t about equality at all. If a straight employee was fired because of anti-homophobic remarks that were misinterpreted as being homophobic, it would be equally ridiculous to sack that employee.
The jokes weren’t been made at anyone tho?? Where are you pulling all this from?
James i did not realise you were Gay. your fairness, honesty and common sense , is an example to us all. Thanks for sharing.
Wouldja look at all the Reds that paddy got above when he stood for the underdog, it’s like lynch mob central, didn’t realise how many homophobes hang around thejournal. Quiet shameful for a nation that’s always banging on about equality
Johnneary. Did you even look at the line you Provided? If you did go on and entertain us and tells how it has anything to do with my comment.
Thank you Eddie.
It’s the homophobes favored pastime Paddy. They have nothing better to do then lick their wounds.They go on about the lgbt people community over celebrating the positive outcome of the equality referendum and are blind to the fact that they never shut up with their homophobic comments on here. If have to admit. I am a bit of a c*ut myself because I really enjoy seeing them suffer now for their years of hatred.
Sacked for telling rubbish jokes……….
Delamare take note…
I wonder how many comedians were smart-arsed bullies in school?
The homosexuals wanted equality.. They have dam well got it now!!
The homeless haven’t nor those who are in hospitals or have flooded homes?
Do you resent “the homosexuals” having equal rights. Before they had equal rights, many were fired for being gay.
Thats right michael ya. There has never been a homeless gay person or none of us have never need to be in hospital. And now the secret that our homes are flood resistant is out. OMG there is going to be war.
James, I am highlighting the fact that the government especially talks bull when the talk about gay rights being the last area of equality… Do you not agree that this government talks bull?
I said nothing about the government. I am just highlighting the fact that homeless, health care services, floods ect is an inequality that can affect anyone. Gay rights is completely different thing. There is a difference between inadequate or lack government policy to do deal with these particular social problems/ inequalities than specific legislation or a constitutional ruling that is there for no other reason than to purposefully deny an minority group certain rights that every other citizen can avail of regardless of socio economic statuses.
But of course Michael we know from your normal line of commentary on lgbt related articles that your comment had nothing to do with the current social problems/ inequalities but rather an opportunity to have a cheap shot at the gay community.
YES!!!!! SWEET REVENGE!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! I BET THEM PESKY GAYS REGRET WANTING TO BE TREATED EQUALLY NOW!!!!
This isn’t about Equality you tool.
James, you have a gay inferiority complex there if you think that…
How can the government make out that gay marriage was the last form of human inequality when there are homeless and the HSE is in a mess, it doesn’t make sense, do you not agree?
Con I blame Scooby Doo and those pesky kids lol.
@ Michael “gay inferiority complex” Definitely never had that. LOL And much to your disappointment I’m sure, Our constitution and laws no longer treat us wonderful gay people as inferiory.
” if you think that” I don’t just think what I have said to be true. I know it is true. It’s a pity your blind homophobia won’t let see the difference between legal constitutionally imposed inequality and inequality as a result of socio economics. Or is there a legal and constitutionally ruling that states those who can not afford a home or health care are not entitled to it and that the state has no obligation to provide it. Last time i checked Ireland is a welfare state.
In 1973, Ireland signed the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. In
1989, it ratified this treaty, promising to be bound by its provisions. This treaty sets out many
rights, the right of everyone to an adequate standard of living for their family, including
adequate food, clothing and housing.
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR) recognises the “right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest
attainable standard of physical and mental health”.
Nobody is disputing that Ireland doesn’t live up to its obligations in providing a home and health care to all its citizens. However that right is there. Whereas prior to the equality referendum gay people did not have the right to marry. So In a nutshell Michael gay marriage was the last form of human inequality in Ireland. If your homophobia can not let you see that. Well I’m afraid that is your problem not mine.
“Can I blame Scooby Doo and those pesky kids lol.” If it makes you feel better go right a head.
I never said any group was inferior, it is people who have inferiority complexes… So the government has failed with the Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR) then?
I have no problem with gay people, what bothers me about anyone is their attitude of thinking that no one else is as put down as they are followed with the blast of personality that blows you away with arrogance and some have a bitterness attached to that that can turn people off them. Then this is excused with stupid remarks that excuse this diva attitude to lifestyle, some have this, do you not agree?
@ Michael. Nobody is disputing that government has failed with the Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights(ICESCR)
” I have no problem with gay people,”
lol and that would explain why you make the effort to post only negative comments on every lgbt related article on the journal.
Nobody gay person to my knowledge has come on here and said that the gay community are the only group that is discriminated against in reality. Believe you me I know only to well that there are many inequalities in Irish society as Social care is my field of study and work. The point I am making is that Gay people are the last group where the relevant legislation and and lack of constitutional rights were specifically designed to discriminate against us prior to the positive result of the referendum. There are no laws or nothing in our constitution that states that poor people do not have the right to a home or health care. The reality is that our government’s in ability to wipe out homelessness and provide adequate health care is a breach of constitutional rights of those affected.
It is hardly arrogance or bitterness for a group of people to stand up for themselves in the face of those who think that they have the right to dictate to us that our sexual orientation is a lifestyle choice and spue their homophobia and constantly tell us that our relationships are somehow inferior to that of straight people.
Graham Norton and Alan Carr’s chat shows may need to be cancelled as a result of this ruling.
Hope the middle age man is proud of himself costing a young man his Job.
Read For O’Duffy’s point above and reconsider, this is the price of true equality.
What about a crude joke about Jesus that would offend many people Is that grounds for dismissal or one about Mohammed Who judges what is offensive and what is not That is one powerful person
The LBTG lobby are one powerful group.
Well thankfully with straight supporters, whatever about ‘lobbies’ just about more powerful than conservative reactionaries otherwise we’d never have got to th current system of equality IN SPITE of conservatives for whom opposition would’ve earned nothing-lgbt people earned so much.
Maybe I’m in the minority here in thinking someone should not be fired for something they say that is not directed at the customer, in a private conversation, without any kind of warning? It’s a bit of an overreaction to toss someone out on their first offense over something so trivial.
I don’t agree with the point ”if someone else had said it” , people are far too easily offended today, and think they have some kind of right not to be offended, all wanting to run into their safe space to hide from the world. Maybe people should just realize words don’t hurt and get the f__k over themselves
I don’t need to reconsider anyone who does that is a coward. He made his point verbally there was no need for the letter. A real Hero so he was.
Probably was a Labour party politician on the lookout to get someone into hot water over a PC issue.
Sure most of them do be trawling the likes of twitter to find something said so they can call the guards on ordinary citizens.
People should realize that if you make a verbal complaint to a manager they will ALWAYS talk to the employee and it will be taken seriously. However if you send a written complaint in (not email, written) it will always be taken 10 times more seriously so be sure it’s a really serious issue before you go that far. The retail managers know that if you have a good exp you tell 1-2 people if you have a bad one you tell 10, so they won’t want word getting around.
I’d feel horrible if I got someone fired. When I got fired I realized a few months later the reason I seemed lethargic and out of sorts (thus ‘not interested in serving’ her) was that I was seriously ill, and often wondered how the two women who walked up to my manager and complained would feel if they knew that was the reason, and that their action plunged me into a long period of unemployment just as the crash hit right alongside dealing with being sick
you thinking of PC O’reirdan mer? He’s in for quiet a drubbing come e day in a fry weeks time
No Vincent. The middle age man didn’t cost the young man his job. The young man did it to himself. He absolutely should not have made those comments within earshot of a customer, full stop. That is what lead to losing his job.
It doesn’t matter that he was gay himself, he made offensive comments in front of at least one customer. You simply do not do that, and the punishment can, of course, be termination.
I wonder if the middle aged man was David Norris.
Was it a private conversation? He was at work when the customer heard him, we have only his word that it wasn’t directed at the customer. We don’t have all the facts, just his side of things but I would say this, if I was shopping and I heard one of the workers making jokes about me, I would complain. If I owned a shop,I wouldn’t want my staff belittling customers whose money my business relies on. Would anyone here go into a shop after being subject to ridicule there?
A person who goes around getting offended by every little thing they here its ridiculous grow up. Sticks and stones. Mr Hoffman he would not have lost his job if he was in the Job a year he might have got a warning.
David Norris Al Ca. I doubt it very much. More little some homophobe like Oran Joyce looking to stur the sh*t. so he can come on here and give out how powerful all us big bad gays are.
Mr Hofman he didn’t do it to annoy the man he didn’t even know he was there so for me he is just an old git nothing better to do but y trouble. He didn’t have the guts to go on JD maybe he didn’t hear the show, i hope he is proud of himself geltg
Well said Mr Hoffman.
Joe Duffy follows the establishments agenda.
As this year has proven beyond a reasonable doubt the LGBT agenda is hand in glove with the establishments agenda.
And please do explain what exactly is the LGBT agenda Johnneary.
The argument isn’t about LGBT rights or equality, but you were probably so eager to get typing about the monsters under your bed that you don’t care.
We have now entered the 21st century tyranny of the perpetually offended. The comment was generally inoffensive and I’ve no doubt you’d hear much worse in any pub in the country. My guess is the letter writer is a nasty person who wanted to ruin someone’s day. The management should have told him where to stick it.
These types of anti-gay/women/traveler/foreigner/black/christian/muslim/whatever comments are still heard, but they are much less common these days.
Why? Because people don’t let other people get away with saying them anymore.
I know in which world I’d rather live in.
You want to live in a world, and do live in a world, where only the single white male can be the butt of jokes.
heterosexual male
I think theres a diff John, between actual intentional abuse based on race/religion/sexuality directed at a customer, which most would agree is a sacking offense, and “i was moseying in on your employees private conversation after he finished serving me and I heard something I personally didn’t like” being enough to fire someone.
@John Turkey
So you want a world where someone eavesdropping on a conversation can have someone fired on the mere suspicion of their intended meaning with no due process? When what was being said was not in the slightest bit illegal or intended to cause offence? If that’s the world you want to live in I suggest you get in contact with someone who lived in East Germany from 1955 to 1989 and I’m sure they’ll enlighten you as to the merits of this type of society.
He was hardly eavesdropping by being in the shop as a customer.
I imagine most shopkeepers don’t like customers being upset by their staff, they are a bit funny that way.
2015 added a new Commandment.
“All heterosexual white male lower-middle class humans must loathe thyself”
Not at all Jonnerary only the homophobic ones. Sorry if that is a lonely place for you.
Not really James, I live by my own principles.
Me two John thankfully stazi PC Storm troopers are not in it, Looking forward to a stranger coming up to me and telling me to my face what i can and cannot say, it would soon be a one way conversation.
Maybe you should look up the word principles Johnnery. Hatred is not a principle.
Everyone’s recreationally offended but if he was straight I’d expect him to be fired. Your sexuality being irrelevant at this stage I agree that true equality means the penalty should be the same. Didnt realise though this action merited firing not a warning! I’ve known people exposed to bullying for months or years and individual/s involved were kept, ridiculous!
“Didnt realise though this action merited firing not a warning!” there is a subclass of employers, esp in retail. The only time I lost a job was in a newsagent because the customer complained “I didn’t think he seemed interested in serving me”
“what did he say?”
“nothing”
“then what did he do?”
“nothing”
“so whats your complaint exactly?”
“i just didn’t get the sense he was interested in serving me”.
He was a dick to report it, but very likely gay too I would think. Couldn’t see any straight guy getting that upset about it – but you’d never know.
If I was that music shop, and they are the ones with the say – not the guy that sent the letter – I wouldn’t have fired him. No way.
Could be he’s str8 and a busybody, could be he’s gay, could be he has gay relatives and is being overzealous, but he was prob unaware that due to his own ignorance he took a thing where no LGBT person was hurt, to directly harming one by his complaint. So if his intention was to be a fighter for LGBT’s he kinda ballsed that one up.
When someone writes a letter it means the issue isn’t blowing over, it’s still burning in the persons mind. I’d still not have fired him, there are cranks out there as well and you can’t give into them.
@ryan Anthony But is the point bot he was defaming the gay community as a whole? Think of what your saying, it’s basically ok to mock the gay community as long as he is not directly talking to a gay person? Maybe the complainant was gay and he was offended.. Also if it was a straight person telling the joke would you call the person making the complaint ignorant?
The (former) employee says that there were no issues with his performance, but have we heard that from the employer? They may have already had issues with him that he isn’t telling us.
It doesn’t make sense to sack an exemplary employee without a warning for something like this. If he was a great employee, seems he would have gotten a warning and the complaining customer would have gotten a letter saying something to the effect that his complaint was taken very seriously and the employee has received an official warning. We only have the employee’s side of the story.
Are all Gays not exemplary employees though?
Not really Jonneary. Some are dickh**ds just like you. Most of us are nice though.
How do you continually get away with calling people those types of names on here without getting ejected James?
If he was straight and that was the only thing different about this situation, then to say he should be sacked is complete and utter rubbish.
Johnnie don,t use the ejected word, he gets very excited
Johnneary Maybe it has something to do with the names I call are just statements that are true. If the cap fits like.
A Eddie I didn’t see that. Now i have to change my under pants.
Welcome to the new politically correct Totalitarian dystopia.
Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Paranoid schizophrenia by any chance Oran. There is help out there for that.
It was a misunderstanding. The guy who overheard the joke, didn’t realise the cashier was joking. That’s the point.
No joking! The defence of it being a ‘joke’ or down to a sense of irony isn’t allowed apply to heterosexuals so why should others be allowed to use it as a defence.
You don’t make that kind of “joke” within earshot of customers.
Good work by that upstanding citizen. The sooner we can replace the scourge of humanity with robots the better. We can have a society of 100% productivity and 0% craic.
Next target – making jokes about Muslims.
new account garwig?
The country is bonkers the man was working for nothing and still got the sack.
I see the LBTG apologists trying to shift the focus of the blame to the concerned and civic minded customer and arguing that sacking him was an extreme course of action.
What about all the businesses that have been forced to close with the loss of countless jobs because of the actions of LBTG groups agitating on social media. Rent a Mob demanding ‘Action’.
Why the sudden change of heart on this issue?
Countless jobs? oh go on then indulge us and show you are not exaggerating.
Tommy, come on out of the closet will ya.
Funny thing is Tommy if it was a straight worker who made the joke and a gay customer overheard and complained you would most likely be here talking about the gay agenda and how gay people need to lighten up and learn to take a joke, saying we are stuck in a perpetual victim mode or something similar. But in this case as it was a gay lad who was fired the complainant becomes a concerned and civic minded customer in your eyes.
In an earlier comment I asked Oran/Tommy was he suffering from paranoid schizophrenia. He has just answered my question.
Lucky he didn’t mention Gay wedding cakes.
I like wedding Cakes. Any chance you would make one for me and cover it with glitter please. O sorry I’m gay. PRETTY PLEASE.
Glitter?
Glitter, Glister, Glisten, Scintillation, Sparkle The quality of glittering or sparkling brightly.
Glitter, Sparkle, Corruscation The occurrence of a small flash or spark.
I’ve voted YES on the referendum, but PC BS is taking away the fun. A joke supposed to be pushing the boundaries. I tough people were grown up enough to take a joke. I’d be the first one to joke and take a joke about my Latino heritage. Oh wait, but if you see an offensive joke on TV which is not directed at you then is funny? People should be able to make gay jokes, homophobic jokes, travelers jokes. Unless you’re a Ned Flanders joke type of guy, then next time you laugh at a movie joke about Jews made by Jews then you know, you’re a hypocrite.
So you are shopping and the cashier made some jokes about latinos which you could overhear you wouldn’t mind.
You are also saying that because a gay man made a complaint about a cashier making gay jokes, that no gay people should be allowed to marry.
What has voting yes in the referendum got to do with the rest of your comment Juan?
Just because he’s gay doesn’t mean he can’t be offensive to gays. It sounds like he needs to grow up and cop on.
I bet the person who reported it wasn’t even gay. So yet another social justice warrior being offended on behalf of a minority group they aren’t even part of. It’s getting to the point no one can saying anything in this world and it needs to stop. Just because you are offended it doesn’t mean you have any rights, it’s nothing more than moan. Grow up you child.
Schadenfreude…
Is that the word?
Yes Oran in English it means….experiencing joy at other peoples misfortune
In fairness Paddy is that not Oran’s favorite pass time.
The bleedin anti Homophobe hetrosexualophobe
The PC Police are out again…
No longer outnumbered by the right to hatred ones.
You wha???
Was in a cafe the other day….this guy about 25 stone, looked like he hadn’t had a shower in days says ” I don’t mind gay people once they don’t try it on with me….”
Idiots still out there people….
Ken what a great human interest story, how exciting you were there to witness such drama, are you assuming hes not gay, he could be a very fat over weight and unhygienic gay, suffering from self loathing or using a cunning ploy to disguise his real sexuality for whatever reasons , maybe even a cry for help, Ken you should have raised you eyebrow in a mischievous wink, and said oh i dont know, you not so bad, think of what you could have done for his self confidence, and the inner satisfaction that you had overcome your self prejudices and rush to judge impulses,
Unfortunately, after having my most recent Botox injections, I was unable to raise an eyebrow. Many thanks for your suggestions on what you deem my prejudices and impulse judgement processes. You truly are an insightful man.
Why exactly is this worthy of an article? Are the Journal running a series on people who are fired from their job? Or more truthfully, is this only getting exposure because the aggrieved party is gay?
As the person who was fired, i can assure you this article is not representative of what I said on air. In no way is this or was this ever about “equality”, the only reason I even referred to my sexuality in this case was to highlight the point that there’s literally no way I could have been homophobic, so to clear my name with the complainant, god forbid they were to see me working somewhere else and causing trouble for me there
You do have a poor grasp of how to construct a sentence using “literally”.
Picking out grammar mistakes is the mark of a good argument. Thumbs up pal
What type of beans dry themselves in the sun, Bake les-beans…
Made that up in 2 minutes not bad… lol.
Baked I mean…
gowl
Too much pc crap these days!
Couldn’t he have approached the cashier in question and said he wasn’t happy and asked to clarify ?? wonder if the BBC or Channel 4 will receive registered letters asking for Graham Norton or Allan Carr to be sacked for having a sense of humor ….
It’s not the customer’s job to question and correct an employee. He witnessed employee misconduct and reported it to management. Seems that the manager may have had a flippant or dismissive attitude about it, so the customer wrote a letter.
The employee made (at least one) inappropriate “joke” that customers could hear. That resulted in his being fired. Not that complicated at all.
Correct, why should the customer follow some kind of procedure? Obviously he felt the cashier offended him and the manager probably felt he didn’t want staff who were upsetting customers.
To be honest that’s quite a one dimensional take on the situation.
This isn’t a case where ACTUAL offensive comments were made.
The “joke” was a send-up of common homophobic remarks and the customer happened to only hear a snippet of the conversation out of context. If they had heard a couple of seconds more, there would never have been an issue, but unfortunately for both parties they did. They were right to complain and the situation could have and should have been quickly resolved but wasn’t.
Doe’s this mean that all employees should be banned from saying anything that could possibly be perceived or misheard to be offensive? Think about what you are implying here.
I do feel sympathy for the young lad and it probably a bit harsh to sack him. However this is the society we have engineered and he did make an off colour remark. The person who complained is described as middle aged so perhaps he encountered homophobia in the past when it was more common, and diddnt realise the comments were ironic. Ironic,aint it?
Homophobia, refugeephobia, straightphobia, colourphobia, fatphobia, skinnyphobia, dolepeoplephobia ,Irishmanphobia,phobia,phobia phobia everything noting but a pain listening to it all.
It seems to be that their is a lot of phobias in Ireland and these phobias are dictating how we all live,
Pure Bull….
undiluted PC BS of the highest order – all these PC Mullahs will be ruining for the Hills soon enough, if the Hetros can hold the enemy at the gates.
Conor’s employer needs to grow a pair of balls and tell the letter writer where to go for being so petty. Richard Branson says that employers need to look after their employees first and their customers after that.
If a Virgin Airlines employee made anti-gay jokes around the passengers, you can be sure Branson would fire them. Employees first doesn’t mean they have carte blanche to do anything they want.
I take it Vincent, the next time you fly Virgin Atlantic, you wouldn’t mind if the FA throws in a few Irish jokes with the meal service?
Sir Richard Branson is a flute.
A right Mayfair Champagne Caviar Chomping egomaniacal pseudo philanthropist.
When asked on a chat show how much he though a pint of milk cost, he said 30 quid.
Totally disconnected from reality.
Only no “anti-gay” jokes were made and you clearly know nothing about the situation.
And there’s a difference between “being allowed to do anything they want” and been given a fair investigation.
Paddy irish man, paddy English man, paddy Scottish man, walked in to a Chinese brothel,……sorry folks the “liberal” agenda don’t allow such “offensive” language……pity that they have lost their sense of humour. ….tut tut tut
Ffs
Elijah is coming
Poor old Elijah and his wooden head, lol.
Get the noble peace prize contender panti on too it, he/she will sort it out.
So much for “equality.”
This is equality… Heterosexual and homosexuals being treated the same
If you actually listened to/read what this was actually about, you would know this isn’t about Equality at all.
As a gay person I’m in two minds on this. I think there is a grievance industry that the legal profession treats as a business opportunity. On the other hand if another gay worker overheard it he might be offended.
Did the customer who overheard the joke buy anything in the shop incidentally?
Not relevant in any way.
In his position, I would of demanded my money back if I had already made a purchase.
Sex talk is for after 6 p.m., in the local pub.
From the reporting on the journal. Ie it seems that the solicitor does not know what he is talking about. The relevant legislation is the employment equality acts not the unfair dismissals legislation. If you are an employee for as little as a day and an adjudication officer finds in your favour that you have been dismissed for discriminatory reasons, you can be awarded redress.
have your say